Horror Stories: A Macabre Collection by Steve Wands Read Free Book Online

stood a little
straighter as a result.
     
    Bark was so used to people not looking at
him, that every time one of them did he couldn’t help but feel
uneasy. It made him feel like a beggar, he hated it, but he had to
do what he had to do in order to survive. And now that was sticking
his hand out and hoping someone had a nickel or dime to spare. Fall
was just about over and things always got tougher with the cold,
people usually gave a bit more as a result of that holiday
feeling. It was the begging for change all day long in the
bitter cold that was tough, when your lips turned into shredded
beef and your fingers were as cold as concrete. Sure, underground
was usually warmer, fires usually burned but that didn’t make it
any easier. At the end of the day you still had to beg. You had to
wake up and go to sleep a beggar. And you had to beg everyday just
to try not to die a beggar too. When people gave a smile it stung a
little less, and that’s what this woman just did. She gave Bark a
smile and a few bucks. He could only dream it would be this good
the whole way back to his tunnel town. Enough to get a decent
dinner and maybe a box of that fancy wine. He thanked her, god
blessed her and thought about fucking her.
    There was a lot of action going on, he noted,
as he walked home palm up. More cops than usual, less people on the
street. Everything seemed fine though and he kept on trucking. A
few other folks felt they had deep enough pockets to toss Bark a
couple of coin collections, varying sizes of silver peppered in a
small pond of copper pennies. One was a wheat penny. He loved
getting wheat pennies. They reminded him of being a kid, when his
Grandmother would give them to him. She always told him to save
them cause they would be worth money some day. She was right of
course; they’re still worth exactly one cent. And one cent has
never bought shit, at least it didn’t back then, now every cent was
a cent closer to something and something was better than
nothing.
    Bark stopped at a pizza joint with a pocket
full of change and two singles, the joint was named Jay’s and the
place was a glorified hole in the wall. He came here every once in
awhile and the owner, who usually worked from sun up to sun down,
treated him like a human being. He always gave him a smile, and
usually a bigger drink with a free refill and an extra slice or
some garlic knots for the road. Bark called the man Jay even though
it wasn’t really his name, and Jay called him Sparky even though
Bark corrected him every time. The place was as dead as usual. Bark
ordered two plain slices and a large Lime-Up and then sat down and
waited. He kept his eyes on the television, the volume was low and
he tilted his head in hopes to hear it better. It was a news
segment broadcasting, there had been several accidents and multiple
homicides throughout the last few days. The anchorwoman noted that
there had been an escalation and that events continued to occur,
she made the suggestion of possible ties and as always had to throw
the words terror and terrorist in there, the salt and pepper of the
airwaves.
    “Everybody’s goin’ nuts out there!” Jay
yelled. “No one’s buyin my pies, fuggin’ nuts just goin’ ape shit,”
he continued.
    “Well, I’m buying, economy can’t be that bad
if a bum like me’s still eating,” Bark said with a chuckle.
    “Something’s goin’ on, man,” Jay muttered
under his black mustache.
    “Something’s always going on.”
    Jay brought over his two slices, an extra
large Lime-Up, a couple of knots and a bag to take with him.
According to Bark’s eyes it was another two slices, maybe one of
them a Sicilian slice. He thanked him, Jay nodded and Bark picked
up a slice folded it and bit deep. It was hot and crisp, he moaned
a message to Jay, mmmmmmnnn, and Jay nodded a second time.
Jay walked over to the doorway, peering out into the chilly nearing
nighttime sky. Shadows moved in the distance, staggering and